Muscat: The Statistical Centre for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-Stat) disclosed that 10 Gulf container ports have been classified among the 70 most efficient ports in the world for 2024, out of 405 ports in the world. The Sultanate of Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar also came among the 35 countries with the largest global maritime fleets in terms of weight and tonnage.
According to Oman News Agency, the 2024 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report highlighted that the Gulf commercial fleet of ships accounts for 54.2% of the total Arab fleet of commercial ships for 2023. The data showed that most GCC countries have exceeded the Arab average in the index of connectivity to the regular maritime navigation network by logging 100.5 in 2023. The report also revealed that there were more than 25 major Gulf seaports in 2024.
Regarding container throughput, two Gulf ports appeared in the list of ports with high throughput, handling more than 4 million containers. Additionally, eight ports were listed as medium throughput, ranging between 0.5 and 4 million containers. The GCC-Stat highlighted the sustainable development of the infrastructure of the main seaports and terminals, transforming them into leading global logistics hubs.
The Centre emphasized the strategic role of maritime navigation and Gulf ports in global shipping and logistics operations. The Unified Maritime Operations Centre represents a significant achievement in GCC cooperation, contributing to the protection of territorial waters and ensuring freedom of navigation, thereby enhancing security and stability in the GCC region.